Review: Bubbledogs

As far as concepts go, you’d think Bubbledogs is right on the money. Hot dogs and champagne, there ain’t no caviar served at this place. Housed in the 19 seater Kitchen Table along Charlotte Street, central London, Bubbledogs has been going strong since it first opened back in August 2012.

Like most of these conceptual dining experiences it only takes reservations for groups of 6 or more, which meant a lovely long hour queue for my two friends and I. Luckily for us we hadn’t seen each other for a while so we had lots of good conversation to keep us entertained during the wait. In fact whilst we were in the queue, a family leaving the restaurant muttered that it wasn’t worth the wait. The comment didn’t bother me as I’ve heard so many good things that I needed to try it for myself.

I was glad to be seated at a high table with bar stalls (instead of actually at the bar) as we had a bit more space to spread out. Our kind waiter took our coats and we made ourself acquainted with the menu. Champagne can be ordered by the glass (starting at £6) which is the cheapest way to order it as most bottles start at £50. I went for a glass of pink bubbles and my friends both chose a white fizz. Both were delicious! …and that’s as far as my champagne knowledge goes.

The hot dog menu was proving hard for us to choose from. Unlike most menus when you instantly spot a couple of dishes which you just can’t decide between, we needed help from the waiter to help us come to a decision. He told us the the most popular dog is the SLOPPY JOE bubbledogs chilli, onions, and cheese £7.50. That didn’t tickle any of us so we asked which was his favourite. He loves the JOSÉ with salsa, avocado, sour cream and pickled jalepenos £7.50 but the thought of pickled jalepenos was a turn off for me. In the end we all (boring I know) chose the MAC DADDY macaroni & cheese, crispy onions and bacon bits £7.50. Sounds sickly right?! Well it was a bit, but anything with cheese on gets me going so it seemed like the right choice.

We also chose a couple of sides to share, sweet potato fries and coleslaw. The slaw was unfortunately thoroughly disappointing. It looked and tasted like it had been chopped up in a blender and soaked in a very watered down mayo. Not for me I’m afraid. I must rave about the sweet potato fries as they were deliciously salty, crunchy and sweet! Yum.

Everything was served in cute Bubbledogs branded packaging. The dogs came in plastic wicker baskets lined with fancy paper. I’m disappointed to also tell you that I really wasn’t impressed with the hot dog. The Frankfurter sausage just tasted cheap, it was juicy but it was like blah. I wasn’t hanging on every bite and relishing each mouthful, I was just waiting for it to get better. Unfortunately it didn’t. The mac’n’cheese was nice but nothing gourmet and it generally tasted like something I’d shove in the microwave at home. The bun was also just average.

Considering there is such a hype around Bubbledogs I was surprised I didn’t enjoy it. I like the concept, I like the setting, branding, champagne and service but the food I have to give a thumbs down.

On that note, we were put in a worse mood when the bill arrived. It just seemed incredibly steep for the quality of food we’d received. Reluctantly paying for it we intentionally took off the service charge fee. I left feeling glad I’d ticked Bubbledogs off my list and laughing that I’d ignored the remarks of customers leaving whilst we were queuing earlier on in the evening.

Just because Bubbledogs wasn’t for me, it doesn’t mean you’ll have the same experience. So here’s all the deets for your reference.

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